Reduction of pithy plants



(No Model.)

M. W. MARSDBN. REDUCTION OF PITHY PLANTS.

No. 572,091. Patented Nov. 24, 1896.

elite Lump 1X 3mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK W. MARSDEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA:

REDUCTION OF PlTHY PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,091, dated November 24, 1896. Application filed March 6,1896. Serial No.582,12'7. (Nbmodelh To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARK W. MARsDEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Philaplants and to reduce the separated particles to comminuted condition; and to this end my invention consists in the combination of certain reducing-mills and a separator and other parts and appliances, as fully set forth here,-

inafter and as illustrated in the accompany- 1 ing drawing, which represents, in part secbodying my improvements. v

The stalks as they are gathered from the field, with or without the leaves, are first cut to suitable lengths, from one to four inches. They may then be dried or partially dried. The cut sections are then broken or divided, so as to divide or open the shell, that is, that portion which surrounds the pith, and the pith and the shell, so far as they have thus been disconnected, are separated from each other, and the sand, dust, and other foreign matters which were upon the shell are also separated therefrom. It is necessary in many instances to further reduce the size of the particles of the pith and to further operate upon the shell, first, to separate therefrom any portions of the pith not already removed, and then to reduce the pith to the form of a coarse meal. I therefore, after the first separation of the pith and shell, screen the pith through one or more screens, taking out the finer particles, which are in a condition for use, and bring together the larger particles and the separated shell, which together are again broken up and reduced to a finer condition. The pith is separated from the shell, and the latter is then reduced to the form of a meal. Diiferent apparatus may be employed in carrying out these operations. I will now describe that which I have found to be ef fective.

A represents a cutting apparatus, to which the stalks are fed in any suitable manner and which may have revolving or reciprocating cutters. As shown, there are two revolving rollers with diagonal. cutter-blades 6 7, be tween which the stalks pass and are severed, dropping thence into a hopper B.

If desired, heating coils 8 may be arranged in or around the hopper, so as to dry or partially dry the contents before they pass to the Y mill 0.

The mill 0 is of any suitable character and, as shown, is an ordinary attrition-mill, receiving the cut material from the hopper through a chute 9.

As the mill is of ordinary character, it will not be necessary to describe the details thereof. In the mill 0 the shell is broken and the greater portion of the pith is separated therefrom and,together with the broken shell, passes downward through a chute 10 to the air-shaft 12 of a'separator, D. The air-shaft 12 of'the separator communicates at its upper end with an enlarged casing 13, with which communicates a pipe 14, leading to an exhaust-fan E, the diameter of the pipe let being about one-half of the diameter of the airshaft, which is open at the lower end, below which is a cone'15. As a result of this construction the air is drawn upward through the separator and carries with it the material received from the mill 0, and when this material reaches the casing 13 of the separator,

where the force of the draft is reduced, the heavier particles will tend to fall to the bottom of the casing, which is in the form of an inverted cone, and along which they will slide, passing downward at the sides of and through the shaft 12, while the lighter particles are carried into the exhaust-fan E, from which they are discharged through the pipe 16.

The particles of shell falling fromthe lower end of'the shaft 12 are received into a hopper 17, which communicates with the inlet of an exhaust-fan G, by which said particles are discharged into a hopper II. The material from the pipe 16 is received in the center of a revolving screen I, arranged within a casing J, the said screen consisting of two or more cylindrical sieves 18 19, arranged concentrically on a shaft 20, the outer ends being open, and the coarser screen 18 extending beyond the finer one and beyond a partition 21. The screen 19 extends beyond the partition 22, and the lower portion of the casing J be-,

ing divided by these partitions forms three chambers 02 y z. The chamber '00 communicates through a chute 23 with a dust-bin K, which receives the dust which is driven through the fine screen 19 by the blast from the fan E. The chamber 3 communicatesthrough a chute 24: with a bin L, which re ceives the finer particles of pith which pass through the screen 18, but which cannot pass through the screen 19. The larger portions of pith and any particles of shell discharged from the fan E and which cannot pass through the screen 18 are discharged from the end of the latterinto the chamber 2, and thence pass through a chute 26 to a supplemental attrition-mill C, similar to the mill 0, but set to grind finer than the mill 0. The liner particles from the mill 0 pass through a chute 27 into an inclined tube 28, communicating with the air-shaft 12 above the point where the chute 1O enters the same. The air-pipe 28 is larger at the lower than the upper end, and the current of air which is drawn upward through the pipe 28 by the exhausting of the air in the separator creates a current which is suificient to carry upward the fine particles of pith discharged from the supplemental mill 0, so that they pass to the screens and thence to the bin L, any particles which fail to be sufliciently ground being discharged from the screen 18 and being returned to the mill 0'. It thus will be seen that the apparatus is automatic in securing a circle of operations, thereby separating the particles which are sufliciently fine and conducting them to the bin L, but alwaysreturning the larger particles to the mill 0 until they are properly reduced.

Below the open mouth of the pipe 28 is a hopper 29, communicating with a supplemental eXhaust-fan G, from which a pipe 30 leads upward to a hopper M. The hopper 29 receives the particles of shell'that have been separated from the pith, and these pass to the hopper M and thence through a chute 31 to a feed-mill N of proper construction, which reduces the shell to the form of a meal of proper fineness, and thence the meal is discharged into the bin T.

If it is desired to further dry the material operated upon, this may be done by heating the air which passes upward to the separator D, as, for instance, by means of a heated coil F, heated by a furnace Q, and heatingcoils 39 surround the hopper H and easing J.

I11 order that it may be ascertained whether the separator is working properly, an opening 0 at one side of the casing 13 is provided with glass, through which the contents of the casing may be observed.

The above-described parts may be arranged and constructed in any'siiitable manner, the different mills and fans being provided with shafts and pulleys, so as to be driven from counter-shafts or lines of shafting or otherwise. As illustrated, however, the different parts of the apparatus are arranged upon the three floors of a building, so that the material discharged from each of the mills and from the screener may pass downward by gravity.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for the separation of pith from the shells of plants, the combination of a cutting-machine, a hopper,'1nean s for heating said hopper and the material in transit, a mill, and a separator communicating with the mill, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for the separation of pith from the shells of plants, the combination of a mill, a separator communicating at its bottom with the mill, means for directing a heated current of air upward to the separator, and a screener having difierent chambersand communicating with the top of the I separator, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for the separation of pith from the shells of plants, the combination of a mill, a separator communicating at its bottom with the mill, means for directing a heated current of air upward to the separator, a screener having difierent chambers and communicating with the top of the separator, a supplemental mill connected to one of the chambers of the screener, connections between said mill and the separator, a hopper in said connections, and an exhaust-fan connected to the hopper, substantially as described.

at. In an apparatus for the separation of pith from the shells of plants, the combination of a main and a supplemental mill, a separator connected at its lower end with the main mill and with a hopper, means for directing a current of air upward through the separator, a screener havingdilferent chambers and a heating agency and communicating with the upper end of the separator and having one of its chambers connected with the supplemental mill, connections between Ire said mill and the hopper, and a fan in said connections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

M. IV. MARSDEN.

IVitnesses:

Gus 'l. BRANNON, MARo STUART. 

